diff --git a/conf/defaults.ini b/conf/defaults.ini
index 7259eb827ab..b4e5a1ddfae 100644
--- a/conf/defaults.ini
+++ b/conf/defaults.ini
@@ -212,3 +212,11 @@ max_days = 7
 enabled = false
 rabbitmq_url = amqp://localhost/
 exchange = grafana_events
+
+#################################### Dashboard JSON files ##########################
+[dashboards.json]
+enabled = false
+path = dashboards
+orgs = *
+
+
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index ffe7e3d7cd3..e794e4dfe4e 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/metrics"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/eventpublisher"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/search"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/social"
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ func main() {
 	initRuntime()
 	writePIDFile()
 
+	search.Init()
 	social.NewOAuthService()
 	eventpublisher.Init()
 	plugins.Init()
diff --git a/pkg/api/search.go b/pkg/api/search.go
index c37bba7b669..592377129a2 100644
--- a/pkg/api/search.go
+++ b/pkg/api/search.go
@@ -4,28 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/bus"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/middleware"
 	m "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/search"
 )
 
-// TODO: this needs to be cached or improved somehow
-func setIsStarredFlagOnSearchResults(c *middleware.Context, hits []*m.DashboardSearchHit) error {
-	if !c.IsSignedIn {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	query := m.GetUserStarsQuery{UserId: c.UserId}
-	if err := bus.Dispatch(&query); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	for _, dash := range hits {
-		if _, exists := query.Result[dash.Id]; exists {
-			dash.IsStarred = true
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func Search(c *middleware.Context) {
 	query := c.Query("query")
 	tag := c.Query("tag")
@@ -54,7 +35,7 @@ func Search(c *middleware.Context) {
 		result.TagsOnly = true
 
 	} else {
-		query := m.SearchDashboardsQuery{
+		query := search.Query{
 			Title:     query,
 			Tag:       tag,
 			UserId:    c.UserId,
@@ -69,11 +50,6 @@ func Search(c *middleware.Context) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		if err := setIsStarredFlagOnSearchResults(c, query.Result); err != nil {
-			c.JsonApiErr(500, "Failed to get user stars", err)
-			return
-		}
-
 		result.Dashboards = query.Result
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/search/jsonfiles.go b/pkg/services/search/jsonfiles.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0ddcf62e6c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/services/search/jsonfiles.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package search
+
+var (
+	// settings
+	DashboardsJsonEnabled bool
+	DashboardsJsonPath    string
+	DashboardJsonOrgs     string
+)
+
+func initJsonFileIndex() {
+
+}
diff --git a/pkg/services/search/search.go b/pkg/services/search/search.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..93d49ec85a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/services/search/search.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package search
+
+import (
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/bus"
+	m "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
+)
+
+type Query struct {
+	Title     string
+	Tag       string
+	OrgId     int64
+	UserId    int64
+	Limit     int
+	IsStarred bool
+
+	Result []*m.DashboardSearchHit
+}
+
+func Init() {
+	bus.AddHandler("search", searchHandler)
+	initJsonFileIndex()
+}
+
+func searchHandler(query *Query) error {
+	dashQuery := m.SearchDashboardsQuery{
+		Title:     query.Title,
+		Tag:       query.Tag,
+		UserId:    query.UserId,
+		Limit:     query.Limit,
+		IsStarred: query.IsStarred,
+		OrgId:     query.OrgId,
+	}
+
+	if err := bus.Dispatch(&dashQuery); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := setIsStarredFlagOnSearchResults(query.UserId, query.Result); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	query.Result = dashQuery.Result
+	return nil
+}
+
+func setIsStarredFlagOnSearchResults(userId int64, hits []*m.DashboardSearchHit) error {
+	query := m.GetUserStarsQuery{UserId: userId}
+	if err := bus.Dispatch(&query); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, dash := range hits {
+		if _, exists := query.Result[dash.Id]; exists {
+			dash.IsStarred = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}